Simon (1980 film)
| Simon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Marshall Brickman |
| Screenplay by | Marshall Brickman |
| Story by | Marshall Brickman Thomas Baum |
| Produced by | Martin Bregman |
| Starring | Alan Arkin Madeline Kahn Austin Pendleton Judy Graubart William Finley Wallace Shawn Jayant Max Wright |
| Cinematography | Adam Holender |
| Edited by | Nina Feinberg |
| Music by | Stanley Silverman |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $6,000,000 |
Simon is a 1980 American comedy film written and directed by Marshall Brickman and starring Alan Arkin.
Plot summary[]
The Institute for Advanced Concepts, a group of scientists with an unlimited budget and a propensity for elaborate pranks, brainwash a psychology professor named Simon Mendelssohn who was abandoned at birth and manage to convince him, and the rest of the world, that he is of extraterrestrial origin. Simon escapes and attempts to reform American culture by overriding TV signals with a high-powered TV transmitter, becoming a national celebrity in the process.
Cast[]
- Alan Arkin as Prof. Simon Mendelssohn
- Madeline Kahn as Dr. Cynthia Malloy
- Austin Pendleton as Dr. Carl Becker
- Judy Graubart as Lisa
- William Finley as Fichandler
- Wallace Shawn as Eric Van Dongen
- Jayant as Barundi
- Max Wright as Leon Hundertwasser
- Fred Gwynne as Maj. Gen. Korey
- Adolph Green as Commune Leader
- Keith Szarabajka as Josh
- Ann Risley as Pam
- Pierre Epstein as Military Aide at Map
- Roy Cooper as General's Aide
- Rex Robbins as Army Doctor
- David Warrilow as Blades
- Hetty Galen as Voice of Mother
- Louise Lasser as Voice of Doris
- Dick Cavett as himself
Reception[]
Simon received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 61% from 18 reviews.[1]
Awards[]
Alan Arkin was nominated for Best Actor in the 1981 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films.[2]
Home video availability[]
In 1981 and 1990, the film was released on VHS format by Warner Home Video and is now out of print. A remastered copy of the film was released via Warner Archives' Made To Order DVD-R service in 2011 in its original full-frame 16x9 (1.85:1) format.
Notes[]
- ^ "Simon". Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^ Alan Arkin's Awards page at the Internet Movie Database
External links[]
- Simon at The A.V. Club
- Simon at IMDb
- Simon at the TCM Movie Database
- Simon at AllMovie
- Simon at the American Film Institute Catalog
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- 1980 films
- English-language films
- 1980s science fiction comedy films
- American science fiction comedy films
- American political satire films
- American films
- Orion Pictures films
- Warner Bros. films
- Films directed by Marshall Brickman
- Films with screenplays by Marshall Brickman
- 1980 comedy films
- 1980s comedy film stubs